1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is generally directed to coated abrasive products containing fibrillated fibers dispersed within one or more polymeric coatings, methods related to the retention and orientation control of abrasive grains, and methods related to the finishing of surfaces including natural and synthetic substrates, such as metal, ceramic, wood, polymeric, glass, and stone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Abrasive products, such as coated abrasive products, are used in various industries to abrade work pieces, such as by sanding, lapping, grinding, polishing or other mechanical surface material removal processes. Surface processing using coated abrasives spans a wide industrial and consumer scope from optics industries to metal fabrication industries. Effective and efficient abrasion of surfaces, particularly metal, glass, ceramic, stone, and coated surfaces poses numerous challenges.
Material removal can be affected by the durability of the abrasive product. Abrasive products that wear easily or lose abrasive grains can exhibit both a low material removal rate and can cause surface defects. Rapid wear on the abrasive product can lead to a reduction in material removal rate and reduction in cumulative material removal, resulting in time lost for frequent exchanging of the abrasive product and increased waste associated with discarded abrasive product.
In addition, industries are sensitive to costs related to abrasive material removal operations. Factors influencing operational costs include the speed at which a surface can be prepared and the cost of the materials used to prepare that surface. Typically, industry seeks cost effective materials having high material removal rates and high cumulative material removal per product. Therefore, abrasives that need often replacement result in increased time, effort, and an overall increase in total processing costs.
Abrasive products such as sanding belts undergo severe operational stresses during surface processing. Due to deficiencies in traditional abrasive product structures and processes of manufacture, these stresses can cause early failure of the traditional abrasive products through, for example, separation of their various layers and crack propagation that leads to ineffectual abrasive grain orientation and eventual loss of the abrasive grains. Moreover, such abrasive products have been traditionally produced without sufficient control over the orientation of the abrasive grains, without sufficient ability to retain the abrasive grains on the abrasive product, and without sufficient ability to maintain the abrasive grains in a desirable orientation for grinding. Such deficiencies not only increase overall costs, but decrease grinding efficiency.
There continues to be a demand for improved, cost effective, abrasive products, processes, and systems that promote efficient and effective abrasion. It is therefore desirable to enjoy an abrasive product with increased inter-layer adhesion and abrasive grain retention. It is further desirable to enjoy an abrasive product with an increased ability to maintain abrasive grains in a desirable orientation.